<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>hop up on a cloud and watch the world decay by cosmere_bastard</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28226334">hop up on a cloud and watch the world decay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmere_bastard/pseuds/cosmere_bastard'>cosmere_bastard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, no beta we die like men</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:47:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28226334</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmere_bastard/pseuds/cosmere_bastard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A shred of hatred enters him, a ribbon of coveted rage, and oh. Vin is Rioting him. She’s looking at Kelsier, and she’s concentrating, and she’s Rioting him. Kelsier is proud of her, is terrified for her, is all of these things, but irregardless he stands up, flaring pewter and grinning. The Lord Ruler spares him a glance, but his boot is already lifted above Vin's head, and yet. And yet, she accepts it.</p><p>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>Basically, what if Vin had died instead of Kelsier in the Square of the Survivor?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kelsier &amp; Vin (Mistborn)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>hop up on a cloud and watch the world decay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>title is from Oh Ana by Mother Mother</p><p>I'm... sorry.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Vin jumps into the square with him, Kelsier doesn’t even notice. The Inquisitor is breathing down his neck, and they’re fighting, and for once, Kelsier is winning. So he keeps fighting, exchanging blows with the monster in front of him, and behind him, and next to him. Kelsier didn’t really realize how fast Steel Inquisitors were until there were three of them, and yeah, he can engage one of them at once, but the pressure from the other two is enough to make Kelsier want to scream. Especially since he only has an ax and his Allomancy as weapons, and normally that would be enough, but the Inquisitors are Inquisitors, and Kelsier, for once, is just a man. But then Kelsier hears the boy, Vin’s Boy, scream, and in a moment of weakness, he turns, and everything stops. </p><p>	The square goes achingly quiet, not a breath to be felt. Kelsier was… occupied, he didn’t know, he didn’t see. Lord Ruler, he’s here. He’s literally here, standing above Vin. Above Vin, who Kelsier can’t afford to lose. Kelsier dashes forward, or at least tries to, but an Inquisitor takes a swing to his leg, and it hits, and then he’s on the ground, just like Vin. She meets eyes with him, and Kelsier’s Vin looks terrified. This young woman, still small and timid, and still so strong. Stronger than Kelsier, at least, but that doesn’t matter. Because she’s there on the ground, just like Kelsier. </p><p>They are both about to die, just like Yeden, just like Marsh, just like Mare. And the only emotion Kelsier is capable of, before he dies, is nothing. The Lord Ruler forces apathy into him, stuffs him full of broken, terrible emotion. He wants to cry but he doesn’t, can’t even want anything at the moment. Until he can.</p><p>	A shred of hatred enters him, a ribbon of coveted rage, and oh. Vin is Rioting him. She’s looking at Kelsier, and she’s concentrating, and she’s Rioting him. Kelsier is proud of her, is terrified for her, is all of these things, but irregardless he stands up, flaring pewter and grinning. The Lord Ruler spares him a glance, but his boot is already lifted above Vin’s head, and yet. And yet, she accepts it.</p><p> As the boot comes down, and as Kelsier screams, and as Vin dies, she still looks Ascendant. She accepts her death as it comes, and perhaps, just a little bit, Kelsier wishes he could join her. And perhaps he will, because the Lord Ruler turns towards him, and smiles, smug. Kelsier smiles back, even if it is more a baring of teeth than anything. The bastard Ruler accepts a spear from one of his guards, then turns and nods at Kelsier. </p><p>Raising the spear above his head, the Lord Ruler prepares to swing it at Kelsier, and Kelsier accepts it. His body relaxes, he looks at Vin, and he waits. But the swing doesn’t come, doesn’t strike Kelsier down where he stands, doesn’t let the roguish insurgent complete his failed, foolish mission. No, instead of hearing the whoosh of the spear, the crack of his own bones, Kelsier hears a yell. It’s one of pure, unadulterated rage, spreading out from the crowd. It crescendoes and grows in power as more people within the crowd echo it, screaming out their bottled-up rage. </p><p>Skaa everywhere within the square begin stepping forward, pressing in around the Inquisitors, who stepped back to let their God do his work. And that God looks… nervous, as he holds the spear aloft over Kelsier’s head. And the Survivor steps back, smiles towards the skaa who, perhaps unknowingly, saved him. Parting the crowd around him as he limps away, Kelsier does everything he can to assure the beaten-down skaa that their cause is just. He kindles their hope as he reminds them of Vin’s sacrifice, and then he lets the world around him go, lets it fall out of his hands. Returning to a home that was never really home to Kelsier, he lets the vestiges of the Lord Ruler’s apathy wear off.</p><p>The rage sets in quickly after that.</p><p> </p><p>	Kelsier can hear stomping through the streets outside of Clubs’ workshop. It’s loud and aggravating but Kelsier can’t bring himself to be mad about it because he isn’t a naturally angry person. He doesn’t think anyone is, really. Not Clubs, torn apart by his past, not Marsh, only angry because of Kelsier’s mistakes, and certainly not Kelsier. He has no right to be angry, certainly not at the Skaa marching outside, who deserve this. So Kelsier isn’t angry at them, refuses to be angry in general. Not yet.</p><p>	Remembering his old plans, Kelsier groans. The others, of course, have already been set to their tasks, except for him. He buries himself in light drink, preparing for the task ahead, even if he should be gone already. Vin was supposed to be the one doing this, supposed to be their savior, but… well, Kelsier hasn’t really processed that she’s gone, yet. In fact, he half expects the little Mistborn to walk into the workshop right now, and while that is technically a possibility, Kelsier knows that she’s dead. He basically defiled her body himself. </p><p>	But even with such a quick change to the plans going so smoothly, the Survivor of Hathsin can’t bring himself to go do his job. It should have been Vin, and thinking about that makes Kelsier feel terrible. Did he really intend to leave this all to Vin? Terrible, he’s terrible, he doesn’t deserve this. Or maybe this is punishment? Punishment from some higher god than whatever the Lord Ruler is. Kelsier is almost tempted to call Sazed into the room, ask after any god that would punish him, lampoon him for his crimes. But Kelsier doesn’t, just sits and wallows, gets drunk, maybe cries a little, thinking about the little girl that he failed, and the older woman that he failed, and everyone that he’s failed.</p><p>	But then there’s a knock at the door, small and soft, and Kelsier uses tin. Sure, the alcohol-stench picks up, and the tears on his face feel warmer, but Kelsier can also hear the person outside of the door. It isn’t a skaa, doesn’t sound like someone seeking the Survivor. Doesn’t sound like a guard either, with no real clanking of armor, so Kelsier just… opens the door. </p><p>For some twisted reason, Kelsier hoped against all odds that hey, it was the Lord Ruler. Far from it, though, with the fact that Elend Venture is standing there, wet from the mist. He’s small, and curled in on himself a little bit, but there’s steel in the kid’s eyes, as he just says a few words, almost pleading.</p><p>“I need your help killing the Lord Ruler.”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>